The Cricket Club was formed in 1920 when a number of employees who worked at ‘Clark Son & Morland Ltd’ (sheepskin tanners of Glastonbury) set up a side to represent the Company.
They lost their first game having been dismissed for only 25, but had a successful first season winning their other ten games. Finding suitable grounds was an initial difficulty but in 1923 the Company purchased the Athletic Field on Street Road and this has been the club’s home ever since.
Thanks to strong support and help off the pitch the club went from strength to strength and soon had facilities that were the envy of many Clubs. Fixtures against Somerset County Cricket Club / testimonials for county players enhanced their reputation.
Many clubs stopped sport during the war years but cricket continued at Glastonbury with a fixture list made up entirely of games against HM Forces. It was a moral boosting recreation for locally based RAF, Army and Navy teams.
1952 saw the first Somerset County Championship game to be played at Glastonbury (v Northants). In total 18 games were played and six Sunday league matches (all victories). The four wickets win over Leicestershire in 1978 was the final match, as the County then moved all their home games to Taunton.
1968 proved to be a very successful year for the Club as they won the Somerset Knock Out Cup for the first time. They have now won the Cup a record eight times. 1973 saw the introduction of Somerset League Cricket. The Club finished runners up in 1981 and champions in 1993 (the Joel Garner year).
1986 was also a landmark year for the Club as it changed name from Morlandsto Glastonbury. The Morland’s business had failed a couple of years earlier and had gone into liquidation. As the Company no longer held any association with the cricket club the name was changed to represent the town rather than a defunct company.
The club’s glory years were those at the turn of the century. Under the captaincy of Wes Durston, the Club won three successive promotions moving from the WEPL Somerset Division to the Premier League. Glastonbury spent six successful years in Prem One finishing runners up twice in 2005 and 2008.Sadly, senior cricket came to an end in 2017 when the club withdrew from League Cricket due to lack of players and commitment. Happily, after a three-year absence senior cricket returned in 2021 when the club entered a team in the Somerset Cricket League. A new chapter opened in the history of the club which resulted in promotion and this summer the club is competing in Division Six (North and East).
Tor Leisure Centre – home of Glastonbury Cricket Club
1956: Somerset take to the field v Middlesex in front of the new pavilion.
Four more photographs on the development of the ground. The first is the old pavilion in the early 1950’s, the second in 1956 is the construction of the current Pavilion, the third is the Extension/addition of the Social Club in 1965, while the last one is the 1965 County Match v Derbyshire showing the completed buildings which are still in situ today.
Further information about the history of Glastonbury CC can be found on Facebook – a page entitled ‘Glastonbury cricket memories’.
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